Ash walked toward him slowly, the crunch of gravel under his boots echoing in the still air.
Vander's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists. His face was red, and his glare could've burned through stone.
"What the hell is this, Trash?" Vander snapped. "You think you can corner me out here and—"
"Shut up and listen," Ash cut in, his tone calm but sharp. "You're going to work for me. Think of it like… being my minion. Do what I say, when I say it, and in exchange, I let you walk away from this mountain alive."
Vander let out a humorless laugh. "You're insane. You think I'd ever—"
Perro stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the path back. "I'd listen if I were you. He's not bluffing."
Robertson tilted his head. "Yeah, Vander. You've been making enemies without even realizing it. Today's your lucky day, someone's offering you a way out."
Vander shot them both a glare. "You two sold me out? For him?"
Marine, who had been silent until now, sighed and spoke up. "It's not about selling you out. It's about survival. You've got a habit of picking fights you can't win, and this time, you picked the wrong one."
Ash closed the gap until he was only a few steps away from Vander. "I'm not asking for loyalty. I don't care if you hate me. All I want is for you to follow orders. That's it."
Vander's lip curled. "And if I say no?"
Perro chuckled, shaking his head. "Then we leave you here, and trust me… this place has worse things than us."
Robertson added with a smirk, "You'd be begging for Ash's deal in less than an hour."
Marine stepped closer too.
"Stop pretending you have a choice."
Since they were kids, Vander had made Ash's life hell. The teasing was never enough. He always pushed until Ash cried alone at night. There were times when his sister stood up for him, but she eventually left for Westhelm, and Ash had to take the torment alone.
Now, the wish the old Ash had carried for years was finally being acted on. A wish to see Vander helpless. And today, that wish was about to be filled.
Vander's eyes burned with fury. "You think you can threaten me?!" he shouted, flames suddenly sparking across his arms.
Understandable, he was a rich pig for a reason. He had power, and he liked to use it.
Without another word, Vander lunged forward, fire whipping toward Ash's face.
A wall of ice shot up in front of him, the flames hissing and dying on contact. Marine stood with one palm raised, frost drifting from her fingertips. "You're not touching him," she said coldly.
Ash didn't flinch. In fact, he stepped closer with his eyes locked on Vander.
Well done, Marine...
His plan was simple. It was to pressure Vander until he couldn't think straight. If Vander kept lashing out, Ash would bait him into one last reckless move… and then end him on the spot.
"Perro, Robertson, lock in. Do the plan."
They nodded and instantly split off, bolting in opposite directions across the rocky slope. Vander's eyes darted between them before he snarled and went after Perro first.
"Get back here, you rats!" Vander roared, hurling a burst of fire. Perro dove behind a boulder.
Ash stayed where he was, watching. "Keep moving! Don't give him time to think!" he called out.
Marine, standing at his side, kept her gaze on the fight. "He's faster than them. If they slow down, they're done."
"They won't," Ash replied calmly. "Just freeze him when I say."
Vander spun toward Robertson next, his boots skidding on loose gravel as he gave chase. Robertson slashed with an axe, but Vander knocked it away with a burst of heat, forcing Robertson to roll away before the flames touched him.
"You think you can run from me?!" Vander shouted, flames flaring around his hands again.
"Robertson! Keep him busy! Make him waste it!" Marine yelled, launching a shard of ice at Vander's feet. The ice cracked under the heat, but it slowed him just enough for Robertson to slip away again.
Vander growled in frustration, whipping around to glare at Ash. "I'll burn every one of you!"
Ash smiled faintly. "You'll try."
Perro suddenly lunged from behind, swinging a wooden staff at Vander's head. Vander blocked with one arm, fire blasting from his free hand to force Perro back.
But the moment Vander turned to attack, Marine's ice shot forward again, locking his left leg in place for a split second.
That was all Ash needed. He stepped forward, closing the distance.
But, before that, Vander ripped free from the ice, shards scattering across the rocky ground.
His flames flared brighter as he stepped forward, heat rolling off him in waves.
"You think you can corner me?" Vander growled.
Ash stepped in front of Marine.
"You're not the one in control here, Vander."
Vander smirked. "We'll see." He thrust his palm forward, a jet of fire roaring out.
Ash dodged to the side, the flames licking the edge of his coat. Marine answered instantly, slamming her hands to the ground.
A wall of ice surged up between them and Vander, but the heat cracked it within seconds. Steam hissed in the air.
Vander charged through the gap, swinging a fist wreathed in fire toward Ash's face. Ash blocked with his forearm, the heat searing his skin, then twisted and slammed his knee into Vander's ribs.
Vander grunted but grabbed Ash's arm, trying to pull him into a burning elbow strike.
Marine's voice cut through. "Duck!"
Ash dropped low just as a spear of ice shot past his shoulder and smashed into Vander's chest. The impact knocked him back a few steps, but he melted it with a flare of heat.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Vander shouted, sending a burst of flames toward Marine.
She spun aside, and countered with a spray of icy shards.
Ash used the moment.
He rushed in, landing a quick punch to Vander's jaw, then a kick to his stomach.
Vander staggered but swung back wildly, flames bursting from his knuckles. One punch grazed Ash's cheek. The heat from the Fire Dragon God Domain grazed his skin.
"You're still the same coward hiding behind others," Vander spat.
Ash smirked despite the pain. "You're still the same rich pig, Vander."
Vander roared and stomped the ground, a wave of fire sweeping forward.
Ash jumped back while Marine slammed another wall of ice down, the heat eating through it.
Steam exploded between them and Ash used the cover to dart in close.
They traded blows.
Ash's strikes were sharp and fast, while Vander's wild and burning with raw strength. Marine kept circling, throwing ice to block Vander's swings or slow his steps.
Every time Vander tried to focus on her, Ash cut in with another attack.
"You two think you're clever?"
Vander smashed the spear midair with a flaming punch, but the moment his arm was down, Ash drove his elbow into Vander's collarbone, forcing him to stumble.
Ash kept the pressure, moving in with quick jabs, forcing Vander to block high.
"You're running out of steam, rich pig," Ash said.
Vander's breathing grew heavier, but he still grinned. "Then I'll burn brighter!"
He let out a final burst of fire, pushing both of them back a few steps. Ash shielded his face from the heat while Marine froze the ground beneath Vander's feet.
His boots slipped, and that was when Ash lunged, grabbing Vander's collar and slamming him hard onto the rocky slope.
Marine stepped forward, aiming another ice spear at Vander's throat.
Ash then pressed a foot on Vander's chest. "Game's over."
"It's not over yet, Ash!"
Vander's voice was low at first, but it carried a weight that made the air feel heavy. "You think I forgot, Ash?"
"Since we were kids, I made you cry every night, and you couldn't even fight back. Your sister would step in sometimes, but then she left for Westhelm, and you had no one. You were weak, and I enjoyed making you know it. I wanted you to feel small."
Ash didn't move. He could hear every word, and it pulled out memories he had buried for years.
Nights when he lay in bed with his face buried in the pillow so no one would hear him.
Days when Vander and his friends would shove him around in the schoolyard while the teachers looked away because Vander's family was rich.
Vander's tone shifted into something bitter. "And now, the people I thought were mine… they've betrayed me. All of them."
He glanced at Perro and Robertson like their presence was proof of it. "But you, Ash, have done more than betray me. You've humiliated me."
The heat in the air changed. Flames began to leak from his eyes like they were part of him.
They spread across his arms, his shoulders, his chest, until it looked like his whole body was fighting to hold them in. The ground under his feet started to smoke.
Ash knew what was coming. He stepped back fast. "Everyone, move! Don't get close to him!"
His voice was sharp because he could already feel the temperature climbing. Marine pulled Perro and Robertson back without arguing.
Vander started to smile, but it wasn't the kind of smile you give when you're happy. "You've pushed me to the edge, Ash. Now, you're going to see the thing that burns the sky."
The flames behind him twisted and grew, almost like they had their own will. They formed the shape of a head with horns, a long neck, and huge wings that stretched wider than the trees around them.
It was a dragon made of pure fire, and its eyes were bright like molten stone. Every step Vander took made the dirt under him turn black and sink.
The air shimmered with heat. No one spoke. Then, two bright red warnings appeared in front of Ash's eyes.
[The Fire Dragon God Has Been Detected!]
[RUN!]
Ash didn't need to think. "Fall back!" he shouted, and he turned to move before the ground could melt under him.